• Satellite provider’s new IoT offering delivers real-time Earth observation as contextual data
• CEO Rafael Jordà tells TelecomTV that services are more important than scale
• Open Cosmos has its own manufacturing facilities and can build up to 200 new satellites per year

European satellite firm Open Cosmos has launched a new space-based internet of things (IoT) service to provide governments and multinationals with real-time Earth observation data as “contextual intelligence”.

The UK-based company said the platform – which combines the capabilities of its 16-strong constellation of Earth observation satellites called OpenConstellation, and its new low-earth orbit satellite network, dubbed ConnectedCosmos – offers secure connectivity, Earth observation data and IoT services to help organisations monitor, and respond to, events more quickly, regardless of location.

The move reflects a growing push to integrate sensing and connectivity in orbit, allowing data to be processed and relayed in near-real time rather than waiting for traditional downlink windows.

Speaking to TelecomTV during MWC26 in Barcelona, CEO Rafael Jordà said the launch of the service – officially announced this week – was driven by operational challenges in its existing Earth observation deployment. “More often than not, we had that information in real time, but getting it down was very painful,” he said, pointing to disaster scenarios, such as wildfires and floods, where delays can hinder response efforts.

The platform combines ground-based IoT sensor data with satellite imagery to track environmental changes and support use cases, including disaster response, offshore asset monitoring and critical infrastructure oversight.

Open Cosmos positions the service as part of a broader architecture that brings together sensing, connectivity and data processing within a single system.

“We design, manufacture and operate satellites… to understand and connect the world,” said Jordà. “It’s about the relay and processing of the data, all with a single, harmonious architecture.”

Unlike some rivals in the low-earth orbit (LEO) market, the company is not targeting direct-to-consumer connectivity.

“We are not trying to connect your mobile phone,” Jordà said. “We are providing secure backhaul… and the relay of data.”

Instead, the focus is on governments and large enterprises, with the company claiming its approach is driven by customer demand rather than speculative infrastructure investment.

“We focus on what the government needs… rather than ‘build it and they will come’,” he added.

Speaking about the new service launch, Danielle Edwards, VP for IoT at Open Cosmos, noted that the company’s existing Earth observation satellites already carry IoT technology, enabling easy integration with the ConnectedCosmos LEO constellation, “with each satellite being designed and made to carry IoT capabilities. Our aim is to provide a multitude of payload types within a single constellation to give our customers a completely bespoke and unique service.”

Edwards added that combining sensor data with imagery allows users to better understand why changes are occurring, rather than simply detecting them.

Last year, the company acquired Portuguese satellite IoT startup Connected, which kick started its push into satellite connectivity services. It also secured priority Ka-band spectrum rights in Liechtenstein in January.

Manufacturing at scale

Founded in 2015, Open Cosmos offers bespoke satellite manufacturing and launch services, as well as Earth observation using its own and third-party satellites through a “federate”, shared infrastructure model. 

When TelecomTV caught up with Jordà on the Open Cosmos stand in Barcelona, he positioned the company as taking a different approach to many of its satellite communications (satcoms) rivals by prioritising targeted services over scale.

Instead of going direct to device with broadband, the company is focusing on providing infrastructure to governments and telecom operators.

“We are not trying to connect your mobile phone,” he said. “We are providing secure backhaul solutions and the relay of data gathered by Earth observation systems, bringing everything together within a single architecture.”

This reflects a broader shift in strategy, with Open Cosmos building its satellite capabilities in response to specific customer demand rather than deploying capacity speculatively.

“We’ve been running a profitable business for over five years now, working with governments and large corporations that are buying our satellites and data services,” Jordà said. “For us, it’s about expanding those capabilities based on what they are asking for, rather than building something and hoping customers will come.”

It has also invested in its manufacturing capability, building four factories across Europe (in the UK, Spain, Portugal and Greece) that, according to Jordà, can build new satellites “at speed”.

“We can produce around 200 satellites per year and we are scaling alongside the demand from our customers,” he added.

However, he warned against focusing on the pure numbers game, instead identifying services as a key differentiator.

“There is a tendency to focus on the number of satellites,” he concluded. “But the key is the services you can provide – how many users you can support, how you integrate with other systems, and how you deliver real value to customers.”

- James Pearce, Contributing Editor, TelecomTV